Fruit cutting machine



April ll933- T. TACHI 1,903,854

FRUIT CUTTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1932 2 Sheetg-Sheet 1 INVENTOR l fiat: @2052.

ATTORNEYS April 18, 1933. T. TACHI 1,903,354

FRUIT CUTTING" MACHINE Filed Feb; 15, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVIEINTORI \zzdafo Jae/h ATTORNEYS i g perfect slices from which position by a latch Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED TADAO rA'cHI, or noNoLUnU,

TERRITORY or HAWAII, AssIeNon ro" swims PINEAPPLE COMPANY,: LIMITED, 01 HONOLULU," HAWAII, .A. CORPORATION OF I HAWAII FRUIT cUr'rrNG maonrivn j Application medrebrua'i 15,41932] Serial No. 593,152.:

The invention relates to a machine for cutting slices .of fruits, such, for example, as pineapples, into half slices and'is especially adapted to the treatment of damagedv or imhalf slices may be cut, the initial slices being assembled in par,

allel relation'in a trough with the good por- .tionsof the respective slices disposed withinthe trough, then cutting off the portions '10 of the slices projecting beyondv the 'upper edges of the trough by means of'a reciprocating knife moving longitudinally of and parallelwith said upper edges, the-troughbeingpivoted at one end and held operative engaging the other end, whereby, when the latch is tripped, the

- trough will swing downwardly and discharge the severed half slices, preferably into cans or other containers which are supported in 20 proper position on the machine to receivethe half slices.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which -;Fig. ,1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation. a 1 Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line fFig.2. Fig. 4.-'is a section online 4+4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary-view looking in V the direction-ofthe arrow in'Fig. '1.

' Fig.6 is a plan view of the knife. :Figsl'? and'8 are detailed views of the springmotor. P g Fig. 9is a fragmentary perspective of a 1 filler piece for'operating onslices off-smaller diameter.

Figs. 10 and llfare planand edge views,-re-

spectively, of a damaged slice,"before cutting. Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a bracket-like casting having a flat top or table section adapted to support a can or otheroreceptacle in which the product is to be packed, said bracket having a clamp 2 adapted to en= gage a perpendicular flange on a packing I table. with which the machine is to be associated. .IBoltedto the bracket l'are two parallel side framemembers preferablyformed of channelbars, each member comprising a lower perpendicular section 3 and a rearwardly inclined section 3,the sections 3 and 2 guide for thefknife. faces of the strips or frame members 3' is swingthelatter into V engagedby the latch 12 andto limit the outfiinember 4, which also constitutes anabutment for the stack of slices assembled the machine. a

Each of the inclined sections of the side, 7

members has secured to its inner face a batten OI'StIlp 5, Wl'llCh 1s provldedw th a longitudlnal groove m'ltsm'ner face serv ng as a battens Bare upwardly and outwardlyinclined guard strips 6', which extend longitudinally Offthe side member's fromthe lowerends thereof to points short of theupper ends. carried by theupper sidemembers 3, isagenerally semi-cylindrical trough 10, thelower end of which normally lies adjacent the abutment 4 and is held in such position by means lower face ofthe abutment 4:,p10VldQd with an operating hand piece12, v

Pivotedto bearingblocksltisecured to thea swinging bail 15, which embraces the trough and serves to normal position to be ward swinging movement of the trough, when the latter is released, said bail preferably being providedwith extensions 15' on either sideof the machine by means of which the bail may be operated to swing the trough: into closed position, as indicated more particularl inFigs.1and3. y hf ounted between the side members 3 and slidable longitudinally thereof is a flat knife 20 mounted on a support 21,-the lateral edges of which engage the. grooves in the battens 5, 5Qto guide the knife parallel with and in; close proximityto the upper edges of the trough 10, as indicated in Fig. 4. The said supportis provided with upturned ears 22 1 between which is secured a handle 23 and the front or lower portion of the support is bent 3' being secured together by gfiatf plates or Attached to the upper Y Pivotedby cross pin'11 170 ,of a spring bolt 12 slidably mounted on the upward and backward to form a shield 24 having undercut sides to overhang the guard strips 6, 6, the shields serving to, force the upper portions of the cut fruit to the point, of ultimate discharge.

r batch of imperfect or Mounted on face plates 25, 25 spanning the upper ends of the side members 3' is a spring motor 26, which may be of any approved type and which is conventionally illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, adapted to automatically wind up the cable 27, one end of which is attached to the support 22, said spring motor serving to retract or return the knife and its support to the upper or inoperative position, as indicated in full lines in Figs. 1 and 3.

To adapt the machine for cutting slices or disks of smaller diameters, there is preferably provided one or more attachments or filler blocks of the character indicated at 30 in Fig. 9. These may be of an external diameter adapted to fit the interior contour of the trough 10 and an inner diameter to accommodate the curvature of the particular slices to be cut, the selected filler being secured to the inner face of the trough by clamps, screws or any other appropriate means.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The machine is mounted on the feed table in the relation indicated in Fig. 1, so that the attendant may select the damaged or imperfect slices passing over the feed table and stack the selected slices in edgewise relation in the trough 10 with the unimpaired portions of the slices lying within the body of the trough and the damaged or impaired portions extending above the edges of the trough. When a sufficient number of slices have been thus assembled in the trough, the operator moves the knife 20 downward by means of the handle 23, against the tension of the spring drum 26, thereby cutting off the projecting tops or upper portions of the slices, leaving the series of perfect half slices in the trough and ultimately forcing the severed upper portions of the slices 011' the lower end of the machine onto the belt or other conveyor usually associated with the packing table, by Which the severed portions aredelivered to the apparatus employed for converting the same into crushed fruit. After the cutting operation has been completed, by the movement of the knife throughout the entire length of the trough, the operator releases the knife, which is immediately returned to inoperative position by the spring motor 26. The operator then actuates the latch 12, which releases the lower end of the trough, thereby permitting the trough to swing outward and discharge the half slices therein into a can or other receptacle mounted on the bracket 1, as indicated in Fig. 1, the outward movement of the trough being limited by the bail 15. When the out half slices have been discharged from the trough, the latter is swung back into normal position by the opeator swinging the bail 15 by either handle 15' until the lower end of the trough snaps behind the nose of the latch 12 and the machine is then in condition to receive the next damaged slices to be out .said trough, and

into half slices by the succeeding operation of the knife.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for cutting slices of fruit into half slices, comprising a supporting frame including spaced parallel side members, a trough pivoted at one end to the frame for swinging movement and adapted to receive the fruit slices in edgewise relation, a knife mounted for sliding movement in and longitudinally of said side members and over means for releasably holding the opposite end of the trough.

2. A machine for cutting slices of fruit into half slices, comprising .a supporting frame including perpendicular and rearwardly inclined side members, a trough pivoted at its upper end between the inclined portions of the side members and adapted to receive the fruit slices in edgewise relation, a knife slidable longitudinally of and between the said inclined portions adjacent the upper edges of the trough, and means for releasably holding theopposite end of the trough.

3. A machine for cutting slices of fruit into half slices, comprising a supporting frame including a base bracket for holding a receptacle and perpendicular and rearwardly extending parallel side members, a trough pivoted at its upper end between the inclined portions of the side members and adapted to receive the fruit slices in edgewise relation, a knife slidable longitudinally of and between the said inclined portions adjacent the u per edges of the trough, and means for releasably holding the opposite end of the trough.

4:. A machine for cutting into half slices, comprising a ing a clamp for attaching the machine to a packing table and ashelf for holding a receptacle, parallel side members secured to the bracket each having a perpendicular and a rearwardly inclined oted at its upper end between the inclined sections and adapted to receive the fruit slices in edgewise relation, a knife slidably mounted between the inclined sections in parallelism with the upper edges of the trough, and a latch for releasably engaging the lower end of the trough.

5. A machine as described in claim 4:, including a spring motor for knife.

6. A machine for cutting slices of fruit into half slices, comprising a bracket in cluding a clamp for attaching the machine to a packing table and a shelf for holding a receptacle, parallel side members secured to the bracket each having a perpendicular and a rearwardly inclined section, an abutment between the lower ends of the inclined sections, a trough pivoted at its upper end between the inclined sections and adapted to receive slices of fruit bracket includsection, a trough piv-" retracting the I the fruit slices in edgewise relation, a knife slidably mounted between the inclined sections in parallelism with the upper edges of the trough, and a latch for releasably engag ing the lower end of the trough.

A machine as described in claim 1, provided with means for automatically retracting the knifeafter each cutting Operation.

8. A machine as described in claim 1, in eluding a spring motor mounted on-the upper end of the frame and connected to the knife for retracting the latter after each cutting operation.

9. A machine as described in claim 4, in which the knife is provided with an operating handle and a shield in front of the latter.

10. A machine for cutting slices of fruit into half slices, comprising a bracket including a clam for attaching the machine to a packing ta le and a shelf for holding a receptacle, parallel side members securedto the p bracket each having a perpendicular and a rearwardly inclined section, a trough pivoted at its upper end betweenthe inclined sections and adapted to receive the fruit slicer in edgewise relation, a knife slidably mounted between the inclined sections in parallelism with the upper edges of the r trough, a latch for releasably engaging 7 the lower end of the trough, a shield secured to and movable with the knife, and guard wings on the inclined sections cooperating with the shield to discharge the upper portions of the cut slices. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

TADAO TACHI. 

